


Pixels

by maidofviolets



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Agender Character, M/M, Robotics, Science Fiction, or something
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-31
Updated: 2015-05-31
Packaged: 2018-04-02 04:57:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4046914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/maidofviolets/pseuds/maidofviolets
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been a difficult process, but he knows they'll overcome it eventually.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pixels

**Author's Note:**

> I've never written sci-fi before so I hope this works omg
> 
> This is a kind of future AU in which everything in the world has become pretty much completely merged with technology - everything happens in computers and online systems. In the network there are different groups - Seirin, Shuutoku, Kaijou, etc. 
> 
> AIs can be paired with a specific person to give them enhancements (somewhat Red vs Blue like in that regard if that means anything). The GOM are the AIs in this AU. 
> 
> I'll be using they/them pronouns for Akashi in this fic.

_Click, click._

Two clear, crisp sounds, and a whirring noise started up, growing slightly louder when Furihata pressed his hands to the two panels on the computer board. After a few seconds, an affirmative beep announced that his identity was recognised, and he was allowed entry into the system.

He sat stiffly in his chair, a plethora of wires and switches connected to the arms and back which then ran underneath the floor panels and transmitted signals from himself back to the giant device in front of him. The sounds coming from it as its many screens lit up and its engines begin to spin into motion were slightly muffled by the soft pair of headphones nestled over his ears – without them he’d probably be a lot more tense, he was sure. A single wire extended from one of the sides down into the right arm of his chair, and a small beep from their speakers indicated that the computer was awaiting its orders.

“Command three,” he declared, firm but unable to keep his voice completely free of tremors. The walls of the small room and the blinding lights of the computer felt trapping, suffocating, and it was a relief when the computer told him in its mechanical voice to close his eyes and rest his head against the pad between where his hands were placed. 

A feeling of weightlessness came over him, and Furihata suddenly felt like he was floating in thin air. Nothing surrounded him, nothing cut him off from the world (this was how he perceived it, anyway) – he could practically feel the infinite space stretching away from him on all sides even before his eyes opened. When they did, he was greeted with the usual gentle blue surroundings, pixels switching and popping and moving around him in a comfortable randomness of information. He closed his eyes once more, enjoying the hum of the empty space, before opening them again once he had adjusted.

Several of the pixels in front of him started to move, swirling and piecing themselves together into the generic features of a figure – head, hips, shoulders, legs – and then morphing into the basic features of the human face, narrow, pixelated eyes that blinked at him slowly and a mouth moving with conviction and grace. Furihata’s fascination with the process only grew each time he saw it – the formation of each finger and fingernail, the creases in the figure’s palms and indentations of their face – all formed by tiny squares which gradually became impossible to see with the naked eye, even in this dimension.

“Furihata Kouki,” the figure said, their voice very slightly lined with the robotic sound most computer-generated things possessed. “It’s good to see you again.”

Furihata’s shoulders relaxed, and with a thought he was able to step on a patch of solid ground which materialised beneath his feet. The pixel figure did the same. “I could say the same to you, Akashi-san.”

Colour quickly rippled through their face, hair and clothes – when it was done Akashi could’ve passed for any normal person, though it would be a little weird to see someone walking around in a computerised-looking getup such as theirs. The figure nodded to him, and Furihata found himself fascinated yet again by how realistic their hair looked despite being made out of pixels.

“How may I assist you?” they asked, tilting their head to the side.

Furihata gave them a half-smile. “I should probably get straight to business, but… it’s been a while since I’ve been here. Let’s talk for a while.”

Once Akashi had given their confirmation, he took a step forward, making sure he had the right command in his head that allowed him to take multiple paces before turning back to the figure. “Let’s walk.”

The two did, walking through the infinite dimension with pixels racing past them and materialising under their feet. Furihata told Akashi about what had happened while he’d been gone – they’d had another run in with Yosen which had caused them severe power shortages in some areas, plus some people had suffered hearing loss from the reflective barriers put up by the violet AI and his carrier. In the end, the confrontation had ended in a draw, with both sides returning to base to recover and charge up. Kagami’s AI, Kuroko, had apparently dimmed considerably in power since the incident, and would need considerable recuperation time. Furihata just hoped the pair would be okay soon – Kuroko was the only useable AI they had.

Which brought him back here, walking alongside Seirin’s second AI, and the most powerful. It had been a while since they had met, but even looking at them made awe blossom in Furihata’s chest. 

“Your mission sounds interesting,” Akashi announced, looking up to the non-existent sky. “The stories you tell me are always interesting.”

“I’m glad you think so,” Furihata replied, trying to keep the eagerness out of his voice. He was here to study Akashi, not to gain their approval.

“I miss it.”

The AI’s words caught him off guard, and he stopped walking. Akashi did the same, turning back to him with a wistful expression.

“I miss being able to leave this place.”

A weight settled in Furihata’s chest – guilt. “I know.” The disbanding of Rakuzan had shaken all the groups – it had been a huge shock to Seirin that they had even manage to acquire Akashi, if you could call it that. Furihata still wondered if Akashi was truly trapped here, or whether they could leave at any time given the sheer amount of power they had. When they had first appeared in the system not long after Rakuzan had broken up, there had been cause for mass panic as they almost shut down the entire network in their frenzy. 

Looking into Akashi’s eyes now, Furihata found it hard to believe that he couldn’t see sorrow in the AI’s gaze. He still had nightmares sometimes about the first few days in the system, somehow being the only one who was free enough and willing to help subdue Akashi. It hadn’t been easy – it was hard to believe that the figure who stared at him so calmly now had once been screaming, thrashing and attacking every inch of Furihata’s mind that they could get their hands on in order to push him out of their space. It was a miracle Furihata had even survived mentally, let alone formed a bond with the terrifying thing. Many people would’ve backed out immediately and submitted a request for the AI to be destroyed, no matter the potential it held.

But upon Furihata’s very first encounter with the red AI, he’d realised that it wasn’t lashing out in anger – it was afraid, traumatised, wounded. After coming to this conclusion he’d done everything he could to save them, even if it meant suffering through nightmares and splitting headaches in the process.

But, he knew, and so did Akashi, that there was more to be done yet.

Realising Akashi was still looking at him, waiting for an answer, Furihata managed to stumble over a breathless apology. “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice shaking a little. “I’ll get stronger. I’ll be able to be your carrier soon. I promise.”

A little bit of hope sparked into Akashi’s eyes, and Furihata felt his chest swell. Maybe there was hope, after all. Their compatibility was nothing special – average at best, nothing like Kuroko and Kagami who had clicked almost instantly. You had those two, and then you had pairs like Himuro and Murasakibara from Yosen – atrociously low compatibility in theory, but they had somehow turned it on its head to make one of the most formidable human-AI combos in the system. If they were on better terms Furihata might’ve tried to negotiate with them, get some advice on how to break down the tall, tall wall created by the compatibility rankings, but that was currently impossible. It didn’t help that his mind was weak compared to his teammates – holding an AI as powerful as Akashi would take an immense amount of power that he didn’t currently possess. Someone like Kagami might’ve managed it, but he already had an AI and carrying two would be too much even for him. Plus, Kagami still didn’t trust Akashi after the events that had occurred after Akashi had first entered their branch.

There was no helping that, Furihata supposed. He was the only one in his team to have come this far with Akashi, anyway – it would be useless to start from scratch with someone else.

He was the only one who could do this. The thought made him a little scared, but also filled him with determination. 

“We could travel through the system a bit,” Furihata suggested, his tone a notch lighter than before. “And tomorrow I could try and transfer you from here into the headphones again. It’s been a while since we tried that.”

Akashi nodded and smiled. “That would be excellent, if you’re sure I won’t hurt you.”

He couldn’t be sure, of course, but he wasn’t going to say that to Akashi. Instead, he grinned back. “Let’s do our best!”

The pixels swirled around them, spiralling into an intricate network of routes and tunnels, and as Furihata studied them and chose a place to go, he couldn’t help growing conscious of the fact that their bond had deepened again. They were closer to the top of the wall.

Everything was going to be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! If you have any questions I'll do my best to answer them.


End file.
